Wheel-flange lubricator.



W. L. DAY 86 B. F. WILLIAMS.

WHEEL FLANGE LUBRIGATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1909. RENEWED DEO.19, 1912.

1,069,926, Patented Aug. 12,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. L. DAY & B. F. WILLIAMS.

WHEEL FLANGE LUBRIGATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1909 RENEWED DEG.19, 1912.

1,069,926, Patented Aug. 12, 1913.

2 SHEETSr-SHEET 2.

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WILLIAM L. DAY AND BENGEMAN F. WILLIAMS, OF WELDONA, GQLQRADO.

WHEEL-FLANGE LUBRICATQB.

Application filed August 23, 1909, Serial No.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM L. DAY and BENGEMAN F. WILLIAMS, citizens of the United States, residing at VVeldona, county of Morgan, and State of Colorado, ,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVheel-Flange Lubricators; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings, and to the letters and figures o-t reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in means for lubricating the guard rails of railway tracks, and our invention consists in equipping the car with apparatus which may be operated by the motorman or person in charge of the car.

The invention is more especially intended for use on street cars where the curves are usually short. It is well known that under such circumstances, it is necessary that the guard rail shall be well lubricated, in order to prevent grinding and excessive wear on the wheels of the car. This lubrication is usually eflected by track walkers who apply grease thereto, usually in excessive quantities, resulting in great waste of material, and also rendering the track and ground in the vicinity of the curves exceedingly filthy.

Our object is to do away with this method of lubricating guard rails, and to this end we mount. a receptacle upon the car, and place therein the necessary lubricating substance. This receptacle is provided with a discharge pipe or nozzle which is normally closed by a valve connected to. be operated by a lever, which may be actuated by the motorman, whereby a predetermined quantity of oil, or other lubricating material, may be discharged upon the part of the wheel which engages the guard rail. This part of the wheel to which the lubricating substance is applied, is the inside of the flange of the wheel or the side of the flange adjacent the space between the rails. This lubricant so applied, is in turn deposited by the wheel upon the guard rail as the wheel passes over the track.

Where our improved apparatus is employed, the motorman on the car by pressing downwardly upon a rod, actuates a lever which opens the valve of the lubricant receptacle and allows a certain amount to escape and drop upon the flange of the wheel on the-81d? opposite the tread of the latter. In our. improved construction, we have shown the receptacle for the lubricant mounted on the body of the car. Hence the luhrlcatmg material must be applied to the wheel before the curve is reached, since as soon as the car strikes the, curve, the wheels swing into such relative position that the lubricating material cannot be applied to the wheel. i

;O u r improved apparatus is so constructed and arranged that the lubricating substance may be applied to either of the front wheels of the car, depending upon the direction of the curve, 0; the side of the track where the guard rail 15 located. The mechanism is thereby duplicated. Provision is also made f0? heating the oil within the tank to prevent the possibility of its becoming congealed or thick in cold weather.

Having briefly outlined our improved construction, we will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, which is illus trated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a car partly in section equipped with our improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a detail view, showing the apparatus on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is an outline plan view of the bottom of aFcar, illustrating the duplex construction. ig, 4 is a top view of the curved port-ion of a track equipped with a guard rail, showing a pair of car wheels thereon, the position of the lubricant-discharge pipe adjacent each'wheel being indicated.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate a tank containing oil 6, gr other suitable lubricating material. This tank is provided at its bottom with a discharge pipe 7 whose upper extremity is normally closed by a relatively long tapered valve 8, connected with the lower extremity of one arm of a U-shaped rod 9. As own in the drawing, the member 10 9f this rod adapted to slide freely in the top 12 of the tank. This part 10 is connected by means of a transverse top 13, with a depending part 14:, which passes through a 'guidelf), downwardly through the floor 16,0f the car. The lower extremy of h m b 1% is con d, s hawn at 16*, with one extremity of a lever 17 fulcrumed at 18, its opposite extremity being connected by means or a rod or plunger 19, with a foot plate 20, which projects aboye the platform 21, of the car in front and In convenientreach of the foot of the motorman. By reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, it will he understood that as the foot plate is presseddownwardly, the arm 22 of the lever will be given a corresponding movement, while the opposite extremity is raised, thus opening the valve 8, allowing the lubricant to drop on the flange of the wheel 23 on the side opposite the tread. Below the foot plate 20 and surrounding the rod 19, is a spiral spring 24, which returns the foot plate and its connections to their normal position, as soon as the pressure of the foot is removed.

In order to limit the opening movement of the valve, the car is equipped with a stop plate 25, occupying a horizontal position and having a threaded stem 27, passing up through an opening 28*, formed in the platform of the car. To the upper, protruding extremity of this stem is applied an adjusting nut 28. The horizontal plate has an opening through which a guide pin 29 passes. The plate 25 occupies a position directly below the forward extremity 22 of the lever 17. Hence this plate when properly adjusted will be found valuable in limiting the downward movement of the adjacent extremity of the lever 17 and conse quently the upward movement of the opposite extremity.

In order to prevent the oil, or other lubricant, from becoming chilled, thickened or too hard to flow readily when the valve is open, we make provision for heating the oil within the tank by mounting resistance coils 36 and 37, in a housing 38, located adjacent the main tank 5. When it is desired to raise the temperature of the oil or prevent the same from becoming cooled or chilled, "a current of electricity is passed through these coils, which of course'may be located in any other desirable or suitable place for the purpose.

When the device is in use, assuming that the parts are assembled, as illustrated in the drawing, the motorman will as he approaches a curve and just before reaching the .latter, press his foot upon the plate 20,

causing the said plate to descend, and actuating the lever 17, or turning the latter on its fulcrum, whereby the valve 8 is opened, allowing the lubricating material to pass to the part 39 of thecar wheel which will collect a sutficient quantity of such material for lubricating the guard rail 40, where the latter is engaged by all of the wheels on one side of that particular car.

It is assumed that each car on the line will be equipped with our improved'guard flange-lubricator, and that every time a car passes a curve, a suflicient quantity of lubricating material will be applied to the guard rail for the uses of that particular car while passing once over the curve, the quantity deposited for each opening movement of the valve being regulated with this end in view, whereby a waste of lubricating material is avoided.

Having thus described our invent-ion what we claim is 1. In a guard rail lubricator, the combination with a car, a lubricant receptacle mounted thereon, a discharge valve for said receptacle, a foot actuated lever in operative relation with. the said valve, a horizontal stop plate arranged under one end of said lever, the said plate having a guide pin, and a threaded stem for adjustably connecting the said plate with the car platform, whereby the opening movement of the valve may be governed to regulate the flow of the lubricant from the said receptacle, substantially as described.

2. In a guard rail lubricator, the combination with a car, of a lubricant receptacle mounted thereon, the said receptacle having a needle valve-controlled discharge port, a lever having one extremity in operative relation with the valve of said port, a spring-actuated pin connected with the opposite extremity of the lever, and a horizontally disposed adjustable stop arranged under the lever for limiting the movement of the lever as the pin is depressed, sub stantially as described.

3. In a guard rail lubricator, the combination with a car, of a lubricant receptacle mounted thereon and having a discharge port adapted to discharge on the periphery of the car wheel, a relatively long, tapered, needle valve controlling the said port, a foot-actuated lever in operative relation with the said valve, and an adjustable stop positioned under one end of the lever for limiting the movement of the lever to regulate the opening of the valve, whereby the said stop may be adjusted to permit the valve to be opened at the proper distance to allow any predetermined amount of lubricant to be discharged through the port.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM L. DAY. BENGEMAN F. WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

JUL GABBETT, EDWARD JAMES KNAACK. 

